DIY Icecap...its not what you think

Re: Grounding multiple balasts to same housing -> interference?.

Re: Grounding multiple balasts to same housing -> interference?.

-Keith- said:
it possible that the two ballasts could interfere with each other via their common ground?
-Keith

Only if you are using X-10 to controle your lights like I do :) when one turns on it might send a tiny singnal throught the ground which would operate the local controle of the X-10 mod causing the other one to turn on and vise versa.. easy to fix if it does happen though but will realy screw you up till you figure out what is going on :D

Steve
 
Newbie...

Newbie...

Hi Everyone,
Just looking into this for the first time and want to make sure I have got this straight.

I have got a 30" long tank that i am setting up. Unfortunatly this means I can only use 24" tubes, as far as I know there are no or few 30" tubes? is this correct?

If I get a ballast that supports 4 tubes, and wire it to one set of end caps then I will get apprx 4* the light I would normally? Correct?

Is it recomended to also overdrive the actinic tube? I guess it should be overdirven by the same factor as the white tube? correct?

I don't want to spend to much money on lighting for this tank, I know as soon as i have it stable I'll be getting a bigger more serious system!

Any other pointers on this would be great! I am new to DIY lighting, and I havn't read all of the posts on this because a) don't have the time right know. and b) was getting confussed with all the numbers talk...

Cheers

Callum
 
Hey callum.
just a hint for you, if you are going to use 24" bubs you can wire 2 in series and use one ballast to get 4* overdriven effect. think of it this way, you are basically taking a 4f tube and bending it in a u shape, but using 2 24" tubes to do it. Make sense?
 
Hi,
Thanks for the reply, I get it.
Use a ballast with enough power for 4 4ft tubes. but wire it in series for 2 24" tubes. that will give me 4 times the standard out put of the 24" tubes... or am i wrong.

This is sweet, there was no way I was going to pay fro MH's for this tank...

Cheers
Callum
 
you are somewhat correct. the ballast has a power savings factor. so as an example if dont actually get 32w X 4 going to 1 bulb but you get aprox 80 to 85w.
But still freeking bright.
I have 7 4f od bulbs on my 90g tank and most people that see is think it is very bright. Will still get halides some day but for now these work.:)
 
Anyone having problems with Red Slime algea?

I have 4 vho bulbs on my icecap 660. I added a 4x OD T8, it is a philips 6500k bulb.

When I run the VHO with the OD bulb, I noticed I am getting red slime on my caulerpa and on some of my rock. I ran the bulb 1 hour longer in the morning and 1 hour later in the evening, sunrise/ sunset effect.

I turned off the OD bulb (I did nothing different as far a supplements, feedings, cleaning or whatever) and I noticed the red slime is starting to subside.

Any thoughts? Wrong bulb?

thanks
 
Not sure what may be the problem... I have two OD 4100k lamps over my frag tank and there is virtually 0 nuisance algae. Even without a single snail in there! Caulerpa is growing like mad and the frags seem to be growing also. Has anyone experienced good growth rates from corals using this lighting setup?

George
 
Ballast Question

Ballast Question

Could I use 1 ballast that is rated for 2 F-96 T8 lamps to overdrive one (1) F32T8 bulb 4 times?

Thanks,

Bob
 
6x overdriven?? Maybe pushing it.

6x overdriven?? Maybe pushing it.

That would be more than 4 times... 192 /32 = 6 times overdriven!! That might be pushing it a bit, but maybe OK. you could try it... see how hot the bulb is after 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour, then evaluate how safe you feel doing that. That is putting out 48 watts per foot of tube. VHO is 40 watts or less per foot. At 48 watts per foot, it may get hot to an unacceptable degree. Alternatively, you could run two 3 or 4 foot bulbs at 96 watts each which is between the usual HO and VHO levels.

I don't want you to burn your house down or blow a bulb over your tank... 6 times overdriven could work. I don't know at what point it's going to get dangerous -- it maybe higher than 6x, but I would stick to 3-4 times overdriving unless you try it out and you feel comfortable with it.

I'm all for pushing the envelope, but please be safe at the same time!
 
Help find my Lumens level?

Help find my Lumens level?

Howdy! I'm not running a reef tank (yet!), but am trying to find the appropriate level to overdrive my planted freshy (72 gallon bowfront, 48" X 18" at widest point X 24", I believe). Should overdriving one 48" by 4X do it, or should I go 2? I'm looking for great plant growth, but I don't want my fish to go blind from the retina roasters.

Other than the overdriven light(s), I'm running one 48" UV flourescent light (killer effect on some fish colors, even some plants), and some ultrabright red and blue LED's for night lights.

Do you advise running cooling fans? I've got a wood canopy, flashing for the reflector.

One last thing (as if I haven't asked enough!); I've located Sylvania 48" T8's, but they're listed at 4100 lumens. Are they usable, or should I keep looking for tubes with higher lumens?

I'd appreciate any and all advice!
 
Melted an endcap

Melted an endcap

I set up 4 4X Overdrive systems (Four 4F32 ballasts, each driving one bulb) about a week ago. I ordered some 6500K T8 bulbs and while I was waiting them to arrive, I was using 2 full spectrum 40W T12s and 2 very yellow T8s.

It seems like I inadvertently installed one of the T12 bulbs so that 2 pins was in one endcap (i.e., correctly) and only one pin was in the other endcap. Apparently I didn't notice this and it burned fine for a week.

Then a week later, when I started up the bulb, the endcap smoked after a couple of seconds. I unplugged it and found that the bulb was installed wrong. The endcap had melted a little bit where it contacted the pin. I'm glad that the light wasn't on a timer.

My guess is that the encap might have tolerated the incorrect installment if wasn't overdriven but the additional current and the error were too much.

I don't know why nothing happened and then poof. Maybe the bulb wasn't tight and one pin slipped put.

I will replace the encap bulb and move the endcaps so that they hold the bulb very tight. Any thoughts or others that have had problems.
 
Hi,

Remember to rotate the endcap by 90 degrees after you place the lamps in. The end caps are designed to run 1 amp or so through it. Most like there was a poor contact between the socket and the lamp. So, when the lamp tries to start (i.e. puts a big zap or 600V-900V zap across the lamp), it caused some arcing. Nothing to really worry about, it happens with normal lamps too....even melting holders.

As for the 40W overdriven UV (aka blacklight or blacklight blue) lamp in a fish tank...I would not do it...unless you are opening a tanning salon. Or you are doing cancer research on the effects of UV on fish. Not is it only dangerous to your fish, it is also dangerous to you. May I suggest using an actinic lamp ? The same effects...but you won't get skin cancer from your fish tank.

As for the cyano problem, its probably the spectrum and intensity of the lights. Cyano grows in well in green/yellow/orange/red lights. So, I guess the extra intensity and the spectrum (plus the nutrients in the water) make cyano grow like mad. You might want to put some carbon in your tank for a couple of days to soak up the nutrients.

Glad to see people trying out this technique. I have been a little busy these days, but I'll do my best to answer your questions.

- Victor.
 
I wasn't going to overdrive the UV, but I'm going to take your advice and try the actinic. For anyone having trouble finding T-8 bulbs in their area, I found a company online, Aquatic Eco-Systems, www.aquaticeco.com , that has AZOO flourescent bulbs at reasonable (but higher than Sylvania if you have them at Home Depot) prices. they range from the 7100K to 10,000K color range. Like I said, they're more expensive than the commercial daylights at local stores if you can get them, but worth a look.

This company also has clear acrylic and pvc tubing and fittings, for all of you DIYers!:D
 
Alright, I just won two Advance REL-4P32-SC Ballasts off eBay, the exact same model that Victor uses.

Can I just rig up each 4-bulb ballast to overdrive 2-bulbs?

Since I have 2 ballasts, then I could light 4 bulbs ... 2 bulbs on each ballast?

For clarification. I have two Advance ballasts that will light up four bulbs each. Is it possible to rig up each ballast to only operate two bulbs instead of the intended four?

Anyone happen to know the possible wattage output on this scheme? Or have a quick wiring diagram handy. Any help would be insanely appreciated. I just won these off ebay for $19.99 for both of them, they are both brand new in box. I couldn't resist.

Thanks!

-Jaci
 
Hi,

Yes it is possible to wire up the ballast to drive two lamps (instead of one). Basically, it is the same wiring diagram as the one I did, except only two wires go to each lamp (instead of four). In the past, I have wired a red and a blue together (on one side) and a yellow on the other side.

As for the wattage, I think it is about 45W to 50W a piece (for a total of 90 to 100W).

- Victor.
 
Thank you Victor. We appreciate your help, we'll let you know how it goes when we get our ballasts in!

-Jaci and Garrett
 
UV Question

UV Question

Has anyone determined whether this process creates the harmful UV A or B type of energy?

If I understand how these bulbs work correctly: If these bulbs are being overdriven via a process which uses UV to excite the gases, will any harmful UV rays be emitted into the tank? Would we be exposed to it?

Thanks,

Bob
 
The short answer is no. Overdriving a lamp will not shift the output towards more dangerous radiation. To get UV B or UV C, you would need to have a specialty lamp. The normal "soft" glass (soft as opposed to quartz) that the lamp is made of will filter out almost all of the dangerous radiation.

The UV A region (315 - 400 nm) is used for sun-tanning lamps, while UV B (260 - 315 nm) and UV C ( < 280 nm) are the regions that contain the wavelengths that are fairly effective at disrupting organic molecules (like DNA) and killing cells. (the wavelengths most effective in killing cells lie below 300nm, while those most effective in producing ozone lie below 200nm.)

The region of the spectrum that is visible to humans (sunlight) extends from about 390 nm (ultraviolet) to 780 nm (near-infrared)

Most Actinics and "black lights" produce UV in the Near UV (or UV A) spectrum. This is not "that bad" as far as ionizing radiation goes. It does penetrate skin more deeply than UV B, and triggers a short-lasting tan that doesn't protect from sun-burn. It is not any more dangerous than sunlight (of which it makes up about 4% of the radiation that reaches the surface of earth).

About 1% of sunlight on a clear day in the lower latitudes is in the UV B region. This higher energy radiation doesn't penetrate the skin as deeply, but it triggers a longer lasting tan ( as well as premature aging and cancer). UV C radiation from the sun from is entirely absorbed by the ozone layer (thankfully). UV C is extremely damaging to the skin and eyes.

In a florescent lamp, light is emitted as a result of current flow through the mercury vapor between the electrodes of the lamp. The low pressure mercury vapor in a florescent tube produces the majority of its output output at 253.65nm (the 63P1 - 61S0 transition in energy level of Mercury). This is in the UV C range, and wouldn't otherwise be useful for much (except maybe producing ozone or sterilizing things). But the phosphors coating the tube in a florescent lamp convert this to more desirable wavelengths via "florescence". Florescence can't produce any higher energy (shorter) wavelengths only longer wavelengths, but it can produce a variety of colors depending on the molecules in the phosphors as the UV is absorbed and then re-emitted.

If you actually want UV radiation to leave the lamp, you can't use ordinary glass, you must use quartz . A quartz tube transmits 93% of the lamp's UV energy whereas soft glass emits very little.

Your typical "Black Light" emits "Near UV" or UV A which ranges from 350 to 400 nanometers. The lamps that actually appear a dark violet use a special filtering glass which reduces the passage of energy in the visible light range of 400 to 460 nanometers. Because of this filtering out of the blue, red/purple visible light rays, the lamp does not have the light blue color that you see in some some bug attractor lights (also emitting UV A), but instead appears a a violet/black color.

If your tube is a regular black light or actinic light, you really don't need to worry about the dangerous radiation. Unless you paid lots of money for a quartz tube or some other kind of specialty tube, the soft glass that it is made of will filter out *most* (at least 99%+) of the higher energy (UV B and UV C). Overdriving will produce more overall light, and thus a little more of everything in it's spectrum (including UV -- mostly UV A), but it's not going to damage the organisms in your tank in a way that they wouldn't experience in normal sunlight, and for which they probably have some adaptation (like phosphorescent pigments) or at least some amount of tolerance.

Good luck,
--dan

ps. I've heard of people taking the glass off of their metal halides, and just running with the quartz between them, and the energetic UV B and UV C radiation , I can't say that I would want to expose my skin to that for a very long time. I don't know, but it may not be that in-tolerable for the aquatic organisms. Ocean invertebrates were among the first life on the planet, and they've probably seen some tougher times than we have. UV C is commonly used for disinfecting water (not helpful if you were hoping for live plankton in your tank.)
 
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ok I bought 3 sylvania qt4x32 ballasts and one bulb each and they run bright and also put a strip of aluminum tape.nothing bad to say about it .did the same thing to the T accept for the ballast.
just want to say thanks for the great idea i read all of the tread several times before trying it and works great
 
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